Chapter 273: The Price of Admission

By the end of the week, Garen Vollbrecht had repaired the engineering committee’s measuring apparatus and acquired something far more valuable than a favorable evaluation.

Access to its workshop.

The Thirteenth Society maintained a collection of equipment that would have made several ordinary student organizations weep with envy. There were precision instruments imported from the western provinces, experimental mana conductors, and even a small fabrication bench capable of producing specialized components.

For Garen, who had spent months begging the academy’s engineering department for additional materials, the workshop was practically paradise.

Unfortunately, paradise had regulations.

"Apparently, I need two signatures to borrow anything," he complained.

Ilya found that reasonable. Expensive equipment tended to disappear rather quickly when students were allowed to borrow it without supervision.

"The problem is that one signature has to come from a committee officer," Garen continued. "And the other has to come from someone who already borrowed the equipment before."

Tristan considered the arrangement. "A senior member acting as guarantor?"

"Something like that. Except nobody wants to guarantee a candidate."

That was less reasonable.

If candidates couldn’t obtain a guarantor without already knowing someone influential, the workshop’s accessibility depended heavily on personal connections.

Still, Garen had apparently solved the problem.

He’d convinced a senior engineering student to sponsor him in exchange for assistance with another project.

Ilya congratulated him.

Then Garen mentioned that the new arrangement involved six hours of workshop assistance.

"Six hours?"

"Over two weeks."

"And what are you getting?"

"Access to the fabrication bench."

Ilya considered the exchange. Depending on the equipment’s ordinary rental costs, Garen might actually have negotiated an excellent arrangement.

Tristan agreed, although he suggested obtaining the terms in writing.

Garen seemed offended that his friends possessed so little faith in his negotiating abilities.

Considering their previous experiences, Ilya thought the suggestion entirely justified.

Their conversation ended when a messenger delivered three invitations bearing the society’s familiar seal.

This time, there was no elaborate assignment.

The letters simply announced that the candidates had completed their preliminary obligations and were invited to attend a reception with the society’s senior membership.

Formal admission would be discussed afterward.

Garen immediately began celebrating.

Tristan reminded him that an invitation to discuss membership wasn’t equivalent to acceptance.

Ilya was more interested in the accompanying document.

It contained the society’s membership charter.

For the first time, they had been given an opportunity to examine its actual rules.

The charter was surprisingly thorough.

Members were entitled to participate in the society’s activities, request assistance through its committees, and propose projects for collective consideration. They were also expected to contribute to the organization’s maintenance and respect agreements made through its internal network.

Most provisions resembled those of an ordinary academic association.

However, one section attracted Ilya’s attention.

Members who received substantial assistance from the society could be required to fulfill an equivalent obligation at a later date.

The arrangement was described as the Principle of Reciprocity.

In theory, it prevented individuals from repeatedly exploiting the society’s resources without contributing anything in return.

That was sensible enough.

The difficulty lay in how those obligations were valued.

According to the charter, disputes concerning equivalent compensation would be resolved by a committee appointed by the society’s leadership.

Ilya examined the provision twice.

There was no fixed standard for determining the value of a favor.

Access to a rare textbook might be worth several hours of assistance. An introduction to an influential researcher could be considerably more valuable.

But who decided how much?

The charter provided an answer, although Ilya wasn’t convinced it was a satisfactory one.

The committee did.

"Something bothering you?" Tristan asked.

Ilya showed him the passage.

Tristan read it carefully before acknowledging the concern.

The society’s leadership possessed considerable discretion when evaluating obligations, particularly when the original agreement lacked specific terms.

However, he also observed that members were permitted to appeal decisions.

"To the president," Ilya pointed out.

"Yes."

"Who appoints the committee."

Tristan considered that.

"A rather centralized arrangement."

"Convenient for administration. Less convenient if you disagree with the administrator."

Neither believed the provision necessarily indicated misconduct. Many private associations relied on similar arrangements, particularly when their members trusted one another.

Nevertheless, they agreed that any obligation should be documented as precisely as possible.

Garen, who had been listening, suddenly became interested in examining his workshop agreement again.

Ilya considered that an encouraging development.

At least someone was learning.

The reception took place the following evening.

Unlike the previous gatherings, the Old Astronomical Hall had been arranged for a formal dinner. Long tables occupied the central chamber, and several upper-year students welcomed the candidates as they arrived.

Margarethe von Adlerheim greeted the three personally.

She congratulated Garen on his successful repair, praised Tristan’s historical analysis, and informed Ilya that his report concerning the withdrawn research projects had been well received.

Apparently, several members had found his observations useful.

Ilya wondered whether that included the intermediary mentioned in the report.

Margarethe offered no indication.

The dinner proceeded pleasantly.

The society’s membership was more diverse than Ilya had expected. Although noble families were well represented, several accomplished commoner students had earned positions through academic excellence or unusual achievements.

Some specialized in magical research, while others pursued military studies, mathematics, commerce, or historical scholarship.

The conversations were genuinely interesting.

Ilya spent part of the evening discussing battlefield logistics with an upper-year knight, while Tristan became involved in a debate concerning the limitations of contemporary military doctrine.

Garen disappeared into a gathering of engineering students and returned carrying three pages of technical notes.

Apparently, he’d convinced someone to explain an experimental mechanism in exchange for promising to help test it.

Ilya wondered whether the fellow was collecting obligations as a hobby.

Still, he was pleased that Garen had found people who appreciated his abilities.

The society offered opportunities that were difficult to obtain through ordinary academic channels.

That explained much of its appeal.

After dinner, the president addressed the gathering.

He congratulated the candidates who had completed their preliminary assignments and explained that the society’s strength depended on cooperation between individuals possessing different talents.

Its members were expected to support one another, preserve the organization’s traditions, and contribute to its continued success.

Then he announced the evening’s principal matter.

Formal membership would be offered to selected candidates.

Several attendants distributed envelopes.

Ilya opened his and discovered an invitation to join.

Tristan received the same.

Garen initially stared at his envelope before breaking into a delighted grin.

He had been accepted as well.

The society’s president personally welcomed them, although he reminded the new members that acceptance carried responsibilities.

Each would be assigned a sponsoring member responsible for introducing them to the organization’s internal activities.

They would also receive access to certain resources previously unavailable to candidates.

The arrangement seemed straightforward.

However, Ilya noticed that sponsorships weren’t assigned randomly.

Several candidates were immediately approached by members who appeared familiar with their backgrounds.

A talented researcher received sponsorship from the academic committee. A promising knight was welcomed by a senior student involved in military studies.

Garen’s sponsor belonged to the engineering committee.

That made sense.

Tristan’s sponsor was a well-connected upper-year noble with a reputation for organizing scholarly discussions.

Ilya, however, received an unexpected assignment.

Margarethe informed him that the society’s president intended to sponsor him personally.

Several nearby members reacted with visible interest.

Apparently, that privilege was unusual.

Ilya accepted the announcement politely.

He had no reason to object, although he wondered what had attracted the president’s particular attention.

His academic accomplishments were respectable, but several candidates possessed superior examination results.

His family background might have contributed, although the society had repeatedly emphasized individual merit.

Perhaps his unusual combination of swordsmanship, magical ability, and research experience made him an interesting prospect.

Whatever the reason, the arrangement would provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about the organization.

Shortly afterward, the reception concluded.

As the three departed, Garen was practically overflowing with enthusiasm.

He had gained access to a prestigious society, secured an engineering sponsorship, and established connections with several talented students.

Tristan appeared satisfied as well, although he remained curious about the president’s decision to sponsor Ilya.

Ilya shared that curiosity.

However, he was more interested in something Margarethe had mentioned during the reception.

The society maintained records of obligations extending back several generations.

Members could inherit certain responsibilities from previous sponsors, provided they accepted the arrangements.

That suggested the Principle of Reciprocity involved more than occasional academic favors.

An organization capable of preserving obligations across graduating classes possessed a remarkably durable network of influence.

Such a system could accomplish extraordinary things when used responsibly.

Ilya wondered what happened when someone refused to participate.

The charter explained how obligations were created and evaluated.

It said remarkably little about how members could free themselves from them.

He decided that would be his first question for the president.